I'm using Blessed Thistle, which is an annual here, I believe. It's kind of a pretty thistle, actually. Cnicus benedictus is the latin name for this plant. I'm also using St. Mary's or Milk Thistle (silybum marianum), which is a very pretty thistle. The basal growth of rosette foliage is green mottled white. The blooms are large pink, artichoke type blooms. We'll see what happens. Seems like I've planted almost everything I can think of to attract the ladies! How particular can they be? LOL! Susan Here is a link that might be useful: Blessed Thistle Image

BANE! I've found this sort of "pretty" plant popping up all over my yard in metro-DC area. The really big plants are in my neighbors yard just out of my reach. I consider this plant to be BANE, because my mom had a similar issue with a neighbor that intentionally planted it. Pokeweed is EXTREMELY toxic. Both my mom's dog and her neighbor's dogs ended up in ER vet. Almost died. We think they ate the berries. My niece played with the berries and got very sick too. The purple bird poop is not fun either, but they spread the pokeweed if you lt it get to that point! I;m on a mission to get rid of it along with the poison ivy, sumac and oak I found hiding in my English ivy coming from roots in my neighbors yard. Don't get me started on what I learned today is kudzo climbing my Hemlocks and choking them out. I've got a toddler to look out for, and trying to keep these toxins away from the lovely little dog in my new neighbors yard that my daughter loves to talk to. I'm taking care of this organic way, just yanking, pulling and digging. I don't want to subject my kid to more toxins. Don't believe me? Check out http://extension.psu.edu/prepare/emergencyready/drought/dairylivestock/pokeweed among a million other sources that say it is bad! I joined gardenweb this evening because it was the first thing that popped up in my google search. I think I'm joining this discussion about 6 years too late for the original post, but thought some more balance needs to be brought to this discussion as the first url that came up on pokeweed.

I have saved milk thistle seed and have had good germination rates. Wear thick gloves the seeds are hard to remove from the dried flower head. File the seed until you have cut through the hard outer coating (I hold seed in a pair of plyers and file with a metal file) and soak for a day or two in warm water seems to help.

Lavendrfem, Once the flowers fall off a pod of sorts (I'm assuming this is the mericarp) forms in its place on the stalk. It sort of looks like another flower is going to form. This is where the seeds are. You'll have to be patient, as it takes some time for that to form and then dry out. Once it's dried it does sort of start to open up on it's own. You can collect them while still on the stalk or cut the pods off and separate after. Each one of these pods must have about 25 - 40 seeds, very easy to collect. I have my first hollyhocks this year (nigra), grew them from seed and it took two years to get to flowering age. They are beatiful and produce so many seeds! Good luck collecting. Jenny